Chapter 1383: How Is It You Again?

In the Qingyuan Empire, Emperor Qingtian, wearing a bronze mask, once sought help from the Calligraphy and Painting Masters Guild. While there, he coincidentally resolved a problem and discovered a hidden illusion of Master Kong.

Seeing a similar painting now, but one of a higher caliber, depicting the exact same mountain range… could it be the same location?

"There's no illusion of Master Kong here. I wonder if it was intentionally omitted or simply not noticed," he mused, frowning.

He frowned. With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved the scroll and compared it to the mountain range before him. It was identical in every detail, save for the absence of the bathing beauty.

"This is Baixi Mountain in the Imperial Alliance. It's in a completely different direction from the Saint Son Hall and quite far from here. Even a Saint Beast at Saint 7-dan would need three full months to fly there!" Luo Xuanqing explained, noting how the painting in Zhang Xuan's hand almost perfectly overlapped with the landscape outside.

"Baixi Mountain?" Zhang Xuan's fists clenched.

"The artist who painted your scroll is quite skilled; they've captured the mountain's spirit with great lifelike detail!" Luo Xuanqing praised him. While that particular painting was considered a masterpiece in the Qingyuan Empire, to an expert like him, it was merely good.

"Indeed!"

Zhang Xuan put away the scroll, filled with excitement. Knowing this was Baixi Mountain, he resolved to visit it if the opportunity arose. Since there was an illusion of Master Kong, perhaps the location where the beauty was bathing might also hold relics left by Master Kong.

As they spoke, a bubble floated out of the spiritual energy river and approached the massive painting.

"Can one enter this painting?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask, gazing at the artwork that appeared incredibly real. The senior who left behind the Void Gourd must have had a reason for creating this painting. If he could enter it, perhaps he could uncover more details.

"It should be possible…" Luo Xuanqing nodded.

"Then I'll take a look!"

With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan shimmered and flew forward. The painting wasn't on paper but layered upon folded space, with each layer connected. He flew for a considerable time before finally reaching the base of the massive mountain.

The mountains were dense, exuding a sense of grandeur.

He flew upward and soon arrived at the spot where the beauty was bathing. After a quick scan, he couldn't help but shake his head. It was no different from any other part of the painting; there was no illusion of Master Kong, nor any hidden folded space to be found.

"Although Master Kong wasn't depicted, the senior who left this painting must have had a profound intention!" If this ruin was indeed left by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, everything made sense. As a servant of Master Kong, he likely left this painting to warn future generations that Baixi Mountain harbored something unusual.

After studying it for a moment, knowing it was merely a painting and thus unlikely to yield anything concrete, he shimmered and withdrew.

As soon as he returned to Luo Xuanqing and the others, the large mountain shimmered and dissolved into a pool of ink.

"This painting is very old. It could only maintain its original appearance because it remained undisturbed. Your entry introduced the aura of a living being, and naturally, it could no longer sustain itself," Luo Xuanqing explained, and Zhang Xuan understood.

It was similar to ancient artifacts found in tombs: often vibrant and beautiful when first discovered, but quickly losing their luster and turning to dust once exposed to the outside world.

No longer dwelling on it, he looked ahead, and a wide passage came into view. He followed Luo Xuanqing and the others, landing on the passage. After enduring various spatial distortions, landing firmly on solid ground brought a significant sense of relief.

"The treasure I sensed is inside!" Yun Lianhai pointed inward, his eyes gleaming. Previously, his senses had been somewhat indistinct, but now, they were crystal clear. He was confident they could find many treasures by simply following the passage.

"Good!" Hearing that the treasure was nearby, everyone's spirits lifted, and they all advanced in unison.

Before long, a palace appeared before them. The palace wasn't overly large or luxurious. It had stood for countless years, exuding an aura of ancientness.

"There's likely danger in here. I'll go in first to check; you all follow behind!" Luo Xuanqing took the lead, reaching the palace entrance in a few steps.

The palace's grand entrance, carved entirely from stone, was covered in a dense array of runes.

"These are spatial runes, special characters created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Frequent study allows one to comprehend the laws of space. Our family possesses detailed annotations for these characters!" Luo Xuanqing's eyebrows rose as he surveyed them.

"Spatial runes?" Zhang Xuan suddenly realized. He had encountered them before in Qiu Wu Palace. The Great Compassion Heavenly Demonic Palm was inscribed in this very script; he hadn't known its true nature then but had eventually deciphered the technique by studying the characters' forms.

"So, does this mean this ruin was truly left by the Ancient Sage?" Bi Hongyin was filled with excitement. Although Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was a servant of Master Kong, his true power was not significantly weaker than that of Ancient Sage Bushang, the founding ancestor of the Saint Son Hall. Crucially, his understanding of space was incredibly profound. If they could obtain his legacy, reaching Saint 8-dan, or even Saint 9-dan, would only be a matter of time.

"Most likely, yes, but... our family has many records of the Ancient Sages' deeds, yet we've never heard of a ruin being left here!" Luo Xuanqing was puzzled.

"This ruin appears extremely complex, but for a powerhouse of an Ancient Sage's caliber, it might have been a mere casual creation, perhaps something they don't even remember..." Yun Lianhai said. As members of a family adept at finding treasures, they had encountered countless hoards. Many ruins, with their profound mysteries and precious treasures, seemed invaluable to later generations, yet were utterly insignificant to those who created them. Different cultivation realms naturally led to different perspectives.

"That's true!" Zhang Xuan nodded in deep agreement. For him now, high-grade spirit stones were of little use; he wouldn't hesitate to discard hundreds or even thousands. However, in the Myriad Kingdoms Alliance, even a single one would be highly coveted by countless individuals. The Void Gourd, which they considered incredibly precious, might have been something an Ancient Sage would discard without a second thought.

"Luo Xuanqing, do you recognize these runes? What do they say?" Yun Lianhai asked.

"They're messages left for future generations. The gist is that anyone who reaches this point demonstrates a profound understanding of space, making them eligible for his legacy. It also describes how to open this door..." Luo Xuanqing stated, intently studying the characters on the door. The Luo family had studied these spatial runes for countless years and could recognize most of them.

"A legacy? You mean there's truly an Ancient Sage's legacy here?"

"Yes!"

Luo Xuanqing nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm about to open the door. Everyone, please be cautious. We've made it this far; let's not have any accidents..."

After speaking, he took a step back, flicked his finger, and a stream of true qi surged forth, pointing directly at the portal. He tapped the door three times in quick succession, forming a "品" (pǐn) character shape. Ripples appeared on the door's surface, and it slowly creaked open. True qi surged around him, forming a protective shield.

Although Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was a renowned figure, any legacy he left behind would undoubtedly come with various trials. There was a strong possibility of traps or mechanisms, so caution was essential.

Luo Xuanqing entered the room first. After a moment, he beckoned to the others, "No danger, come in!"

The others filed in. The room was a vast, empty hall, save for a lone statue standing nearby.

"It's Ancient Sage Qiu Wu!" Zhang Xuan spoke as he clearly saw the statue's form. It was remarkably familiar; he had seen it before in Qiu Wu Palace!

"This is the Ancient Sage?" Yuan Xiao and the others were astonished. Despite their esteemed backgrounds, the Ancient Sages lived in an era far too distant for them to have ever seen one.

"I've seen portraits of the Ancient Sage; this is indeed him!" Luo Xuanqing replied, then looked at Zhang Xuan with a hint of suspicion. "Master Zhang, how did you know?" The Luo family possessed portraits of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, but this man was merely from the Qingyuan Empire. How could he recognize the statue at a glance?

"I just mentioned that the script was left by the Ancient Sage, so I just guessed the statue would be him. It was a wild guess..." Zhang Xuan replied. It was better to say little about the Void Heaven Book from Qiu Wu Palace.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to elaborate, and knowing that everyone had their own fortuitous encounters, Luo Xuanqing did not press further. Instead, he took a few steps forward, his knees instinctively giving way as he knelt to the ground. He respectfully kowtowed several times, then turned to explain to the others.

"Our Luo family's understanding of space is directly inherited from the Ancient Sage. Therefore, our ancestors decreed that whenever we encounter a statue of the Ancient Sage or his lingering consciousness, we must prostrate ourselves and treat it with the reverence due to a founding patriarch!"

"Inherited from the Ancient Sage?" Zhang Xuan was filled with surprise. He turned to look at Yuan Xiao and the others, only to see that they seemed to have known this all along.

"Space involves the Primordial Dao, and the Dao is singular; it cannot be divided into various true interpretations like the Sword Dao. Given this, a direct lineage makes perfect sense..." He pondered for a moment before a sudden realization dawned on him. He should have known this earlier. No wonder the ancient book with Saint Luo's tablet inscriptions could perfect the Void Heaven Book, making it suitable for cultivation; it turned out both originated from the same source.

"Junior disciple, Luo Xuanqing, greets Ancient Sage Qiu Wu!"

After performing these rites, he gently extended his palm and placed it on the statue's base. With a soft hum, the Ancient Sage's statue instantly emitted myriad rays of light. The stone figure, which had been motionless, slowly opened its eyes.

"The Ancient Sage's consciousness..."

Bi Hongyin, Yuan Xiao, and the others were all overcome with excitement. Without hesitation, they swiftly followed suit, kneeling in unison. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was a Saint even older than their own founding patriarchs. Their ancestors, had they met him, would have knelt and respectfully addressed him as "senior," never daring to act presumptuous.

"Long ago, while passing through this place, I inadvertently acquired a seed of the Void Gourd. I planted it casually, hoping to leave it for future generations as a form of assistance. Your presence here indicates a profound grasp of space, which qualifies you to refine it and receive the fortuitous opportunities I shall bestow..." The statue's voice slowly resonated.

"Thank you, Ancient Sage..."

Everyone was brimming with excitement. Luo Xuanqing was about to express more gratitude when he suddenly noticed Zhang Xuan, standing not far away, had not knelt. Frowning, he couldn't help but reprimand, "Master Zhang, why aren't you bowing before the Ancient Sage...?"

Just as he spoke, the Ancient Sage statue turned its head, its expression shifting to one of utter shock, as if it had seen a ghost. "You again?"